The issue of Love Jihad hitting the state again after a long gap is likely to trigger a political debate in the upcoming bypolls scheduled in five assembly constituencies. (File photo for representation)
According to the victim’s father, his daughter was drugged and sexually abused near a park in Kozhikode where she had gone with her friends. The accused is said to have recorded the videos of the crime and blackmailing the victim with those.
A 19-year-old Christian girl in Kerala was allegedly forced to convert to Islam after being blackmailed and facing sexual abuse.
The victim’s parents have filed a case with the Nadakavu police station against 19-year-old Jasim, who was reportedly her classmate at a coaching centre in Kozhikode.
According to the complaint made by the victim’s father, his daughter along with her two friends had visited Sarovaram Bio Theme Park in the city on July 7 and met Jasim there accidentally.
The father further alleged that his daughter was later drugged and sexually abused in a building in the park, adding that the accused recorded videos of the crime.
Later, Jasim allegedly blackmailed her with the videos and forced her to convert to Islam.
Tensed after receiving threats of leaking the videos on social media, the victim told her parents following which her father lodged a complaint with Nadakavu police station on August 5.
Police have recorded victim’s statement before the magistrate and have handed it over to Kozhikode Medical College Police Station as the crime took place in an area that comes under its jurisdiction.
Parents have alleged that the police is shielding the accused as investigation lagged for more than a month without any progress.
The victim’s parents, meanwhile, also lodged complaints with National Minority Commission (NMC), following which National Minority Vice Chairman George Kurian wrote to Home Minister Amit Shah requesting National Investigation Agency’s (NIA) intervention on the complaint.
Earlier, the NIA had investigated 11 such cases including that of Hadia, a Hindu girl married who a Muslim, among 89 other inter-caste marriages in Kerala and found no basis for the allegations.
NMC Vice Chairman George Kurian and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) took up the matter and organised a protest march towards Kozhikode Commissioner’s office on September 23. Kurian pointed out that Love Jihad is very much active in Kerala and the ruling CPI(M) led-government is shielding the accused.
The Kerala Catholics Bishops Council mouthpiece, Jagratha, in 2015 published that around 4000 young girls were converted to Islam under Love Jihad between 2005 and 2012.
Religious conversion for marriages turned into a political issue when several girls under 30-years of age converted to Islam after falling in love with Muslims between 2008 and 2015.
In a question raised in Kerala Assembly debates, the then Chief Minister Oommen Chandy had replied that a total of 7713 persons were converted to Islam between 2006 and 2012.
The issue of Love Jihad hitting the state again after a long gap is likely to trigger a political debate in the upcoming bypolls scheduled in five assembly constituencies.